Thursday, February 13, 2020

On Damnatio Memoriae

Posted: 2/13/2020


It is incredible how old this concept is, although it seems the term was not coined before 1689. 
What to do with individuals that seek fame or notoriety by doing most evil things? How to discourage other individuals from imitating those who went before?


One of the most often quoted and most ancient examples of damnatio memoriae, or oblivion, as a punishment was meted out by the peoples of Ephesus after arsonist Herostratus set fire to the Temple of Artemis in the 4th century BC, one of the Seven Wonders of antiquity. “Herostratus was then captured and tortured on the rack,[5] where he confessed to having committed the arson in an attempt to immortalize his name.” (S2) “His acts prompted the creation of a damnatio memoriae law forbidding anyone to mention his name, orally or in writing. The law was ultimately ineffective ... Thus, Herostratus has become a metonym for someone who commits a criminal act in order to become famous.” (S2)


Are there any good reasons why we should remember the individual perpetrator?
Does it not suffice to learn about the personality of the individual, to analyze the incident and to seek to prevent future evil acts?


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